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Here's a neat idea: using the standard microphone and speakers that are built into most recent laptops, researchers from Northwestern and University of Michigan have developed a sonar system to detect when a user is near the computer. Why is this interesting? Well, the idea is that it can be used to turn your computer screen off as soon as you walk away, rather than waiting the typical 10 or 20 minutes for the screensaver to kick on. It's a pretty neat idea, especially since it doesn't require any extra components, however I wonder how much power the sonar system itself will draw.
[via slashdot]
What is the matter with using the on/off button ?
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The point of this isn't to shut down the computer, but to do a better job than the keyboard/mouse activity monitor in determining whether you are actively using the computer or not. I don't think it's feasible to get people to shut off their monitors every time they get up to get a drink or use the restroom, which is where I see a technology like this helping. I really like it because it's not asking us to buy expensive extra sensors, but instead is a creative re-use of the parts that are already available on most laptops.
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Make: Online : Using sonar to save power us : I could realy use this software to stop having to worry about walking off, &b leaving the pc on overnight.
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